Spiders are the subject of one of America's most common phobias (arachnophobia), so spider control in Oklahoma City might already be high up on your to-do list. The good news is that spiders are one of the few pests that don't get anything out of contact with humans. The bad news is that they love to eat the most common pests that infest our homes.
This means that even though they don't have any reason to invade our homes of their own accord, large numbers of spiders can and will follow pests that do. So it is possible to get a serious spider infestation even though these pests do not need humans to survive.
Types Of Spiders: A Guide To The Most Common Species
We've got many different kinds of spiders here in OKC, and most of them are absolutely harmless. All spiders are venomous, of course, but most spiders don't have venom potent enough to harm humans. This includes common Oklahoma spiders like:
- Orb-weaver spiders
- Wolf spiders
- Jumping spiders
- Crab spiders
- Cellar spiders
- Garden spiders
- Nursery web spiders
- Ground spiders
If you're bitten by one of these spiders, don't worry. The worst you're likely to experience is pain and swelling around the site of the bite, just like a bee sting. These symptoms should subside after a few hours or days.
However, this doesn't mean that you can let spider control fall by the wayside, as we do have a couple of dangerous spider species in Oklahoma.
Spider Bite Symptoms: Warning Signs To Watch For
The two potentially harmful spiders in our area are the brown recluse and the black widow. A bite from one of these spiders is typically not considered life-threatening, but it can be medically significant, meaning its symptoms are severe enough to require medical intervention.
Black widows pack a powerful neurotoxic venom that can cause systemic symptoms including nausea, muscle spasms, severe pain, and even confusion and trouble breathing. If you have symptoms like this after a black widow bite, seek emergency medical care immediately.
Black widows might not be mortally dangerous to adult humans, but they can pose a mortal threat to small children and pets, so if you see a black widow, it's important to call for professional pest control services to ensure there are no more.
Brown recluses, meanwhile, have hemotoxic bites. This means that their venom can kill the tissue around the site of the bite, a process known as necrosis. This can lead to severe infections and cause significant scarring, so it's important to get brown recluse bites treated, as well.
Spider-Proofing: Tips For Preventing Spiders In The Home
Spiders are not like most other pests that commonly infest human habitations because they are not dependent on humans in any way. They don't eat our food, and they don't need us for shelter or moisture. This means you have no reason to have a large number of spiders inside your house except for another infestation.
If you start seeing a significant uptick in spider activity inside your home, the most likely scenario is you have another infestation. Common household infestations that draw spiders in include cockroaches, silverfish, and flies. This means the best thing you can do to prevent spiders is to prevent their prey.
Keeping your exterior lights off at night can help prevent your home from becoming attractive to flying spider prey like moths. Meanwhile, keeping your trash covered, properly storing foods, and fixing moisture problems can help make your house less attractive to cockroaches, flies, and silverfish, which can make it less attractive to spiders by extension.
However, if you wind up with a spider infestation, it can be more difficult to get rid of alone. There are not many spider control products on the open market that are effective, which means you will likely need professional help.
Professional Spider Control: When To Call In The Experts
If you're already seeing spiders around your home in large numbers, it's likely you have an established spider infestation on your hands. If this is the case, you will need professional help to eliminate it.
Here at Brandley Pest Control, our pest control experts can help you get rid of spiders and the infestations drawing them into your home. Our inspections can determine where spiders and their prey are breeding, entering, and living inside your home so that we can effectively eradicate both infestations. So don't waste your time with ineffective over-the-counter solutions. Just contactBrandley Pest Controltoday.